EL CONFLICTO EN TIEMPOS DE CAMBIO : LA OBRA DE PANTOJA Y EL DEBATE MORAL EN LA SOCIEDAD DE LOS FINALES DE LA DINASTÍA MING

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Abstract

This paper provides a different perspective to view the cultural dialogue between China and Europe. The author put this communication in the context of the Chinese intellectual history and analyzes the urgent need of the Chinese literati in late Ming period, which was the solid moral motivation to bring about moral enhancement effectively. Precisely because of this need, the book Septem Victoriis 七克 (Qike) of the Spanish Jesuit Diego de Pantoja caused extensive attention among the Chinese literati. Some people accepted that the mindset of “getting rewards for doing good” could attract people in a utilitarian way and thus provided moral motives for the commoners. Nevertheless, there were still many Chinese elites believed that the idea of getting heavenly rewards violates the basic principles of Confucian ethics.